Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood

 Beautiful Phyrne Fisher is chosen to be Queen of the Flowers in a parade at St Kilda but she has much to contend with. A troubled girl goes missing and Phyrne is hired to look into the case. One of her adopted daughters is searching for her family background and an old flame from Scotland turns up. Free-spirited Phyrne manages to take all this in amidst the colourful carnival life of St Kilda whilst indulging in delicious food, stunning clothes and enjoyable outings. 

This old Phyrne Fisher novel was rather a sordid story with its dark themes but well-worth reading for fans of historical mysteries. The historical research is brilliant, as always, and the story of Ruth’s background is very moving, although it involves several coincidences.

Sadly, beloved author Kerry Greenwood died recently. Fans all over the country will miss looking forward to the next Phyrne Fisher novel.

I read this before a long time ago but when I spotted it at the Little Library nearby, I couldn’t resist reading it again. However, it’s taken me a long time! I read it for Rose City Reader’s TBR 25 in 25 Challenge.